Stapling machine for fiber board blanks



June 30,1931. GALLEN 1,812,189

Y -ws'rAP/LINQ CHINE ron finan golmn ammxs mlm A INVENTOR.

June 30, 1931. Y||. G. ALLEN 1,812,189

`sumaria ncl-ums Fon FIBER Ann LAuKs A -riled am. 24: 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 www , l.rupe so, 11931.

AH. G. ALLEN V STAPLINGAIAGHINE Fon FIBER BOARD mnx's rindan. 24. 1929 :sheets-sheet :s`

I KIAIN1/limon. [V4/FQ `Crofts The present invention proposes to take Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENTA OFFICE HOWARD G. ALLEN, or NIAGARA rALLs, NEWl YORK, AssIGNoR 'ro n. n. BLIss oon- PANY, INC., OF NIAGARA rALLs, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION or NEW Yom:

STAPLING MACHINE FOR FIBER BOARD BLANES' Application mea "Janary 24, 192e. serial. No. 334,677.

This invention relates to an apparatus for taking manufacturers seams in fiber board shipping cases with special reference to seams formed by wire stitches.

In fiber board shipping cases it has been the practice to partially construct the case from suitable blanks or from a single blank p by completing one or more of the seams in the blank before the sameis shipped to the user. Thus, the user needs to but take the remaining seams.` `These seams which are put in before the cases are sent to the users are commonly called manufacturers seams and the seams which are taken are those which permit the blank to be shipped in flat form.

It hasbeen proposed to take these 'manufacturers seams by folding the blank or blanks so that all are in substantially a flat form and lthen stitch the yoverlapping flaps. Such a proposal will be found in the Patent No. 1,101,011 of. June 23, 1914.

such manufacturers seams while the blank is at least partially in the shape of the ultimate container as distinguished from being flattened out. There are some very distinct advantages in this method which effects new results. When fiber are folded up, it is more or less diliicult to properly line up the flaps which are to be stitched together, present method, the blank or blanks are substantially in the normal position which is assumed when in box form so that the overlapping liaps which are tO be stitched lined up with a nicety. The result is, a more perfect shipping case.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a stitching` mechanism for taking manufacturers seams in a` shipping case, illustrating a case-and its support in cross section.

Fig. 2 is a'somewhat diagrammatic View in illustration of some of the mechanism upon the stitching machine which controls the stitching machine operation in accordance with a position of the shipping case. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of an illustration' of a. clutch mechanism which may be used for a stitching machine.

board blank Or blanks but in accordance with they may be' Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 4?-4 of' Fig. 2, illustra-ting the manual control which may be utilized.

Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are enlarged perspectives of certain of the clutch parts.

Fig. 7v is an enlarged detail of. the stop late and associated parts.

The head of any conventional stitching machine is illustrated at 1, the same bein mounted upon an arm 2 in which is a sha t 3 (Fig. 2) .driven by means of a suitable .source of power (not shown) through a suitable gear 4. This gear 4 is mounted for rotation upon the shaft 3 and a clutch device is interposed between the gear and the shaft. Atusuitable form of clutch is sleeve 5, having a vgroove 6, this sleeve being keyed to the shaftl as shown at 7 (Fig. 3).

This sleeve carriesv a bolt 8 which is slidable in the sleeve and which is backed up by a spring 9. The hub of the wheel 4 which may be termed a drive wheel, has afsuitable recess 10 within which the bolt is driven by the spring to connect the. drive wheel and shaft together in driving relation. Suitable controlling mechanism is provided for con,

trolling the bolt as will later be described.

It'will thus be secnthat the drive wheel 4 may, when the clutch is engaged, actuate the stitcher head. Referring again tti-Fig. 1, a suitable support JI'or a container to be stitche is shown at v11 and preferably it has adjustable guide devices 12 which are adjustable for container size. This support is shown more or less diagrammatically in as much as its particular structure is not claimed herein and preferablyv this support which is to be used, will be vertically adjustable such as the ty e shown and claimed in my copending afp icatipn, Serial No. 238,754, filed December 9, 192

A container of the-type in which a manufacturers seam is advantageously used, 1s I provided by suitable end blanks 14-which are adapted to be folded down overlapping each other (Fig. 2).

The manufacturers seam is taken by stitching flap 16 and flap 17 together. After thus forming, or rather, stitching the two, the case may be collapsed and a t of them superimposed -and shipped in co pact form.

- In the taking of the manufacturers seams in the panels 16 and 17, an open head blade anvil is used which may be of the type shown and described in application, Serial No. 329,179, filed November 9, 1928, by H. R. Bliss. It is not necessary to describe this anvil in detail, and it is sulficient to say that there is a suitable support for the anvil as at 18 which supports an anvil part generally in the form of a blade as at 19, and which has a 4Second blade-like guide 20 connected by a lce vertically-extending wall 21 to the anvil part 19. One flap moves over the blade anvil part while the other flap moves in the space between the flaps 19 and 20 and the two flaps come together over the part of the blade anvil against which the stitches are thrown.

for clenching theV legs thereof. A suitable guide 22 may be provided for guiding the flap 16 into place. i

The empty case, in this partially assembled form requires support and for this purpose it is supported from the exterior as by means of suitable rollers 25 rotatively mounted upon journals 26 which in turn are adjustably carried as by means of wing screws 27 upon a supporting rod 28. Qbviously these rollers are adjustable in and out for various sizes of cases. Also the container needs support from the interior and for this purpose a bracket 30 may be provided and which may be supported y a part ofthe blade anvil which lies within the pase as shown. A vcross rod 31 is carried by this supportand mounted upon this cross rod are suitable posts or journal members 32 which rotatively support rollers 33. Preferably the rollers are adjustable as by means of wing screws 34 and the supporting rod 31 may be adjustably held by the bracket as bymeans of a set screw 35.

These interior and exterior rollers are accurately adjusted for the size ofthe case and as the case is formed in to tube shape as illustrated in Fig. 1, it is moved with endwise movement so that the side walls are gripped between the rollers.- These'rollers accurately pos1t1on the parts of the case so that the flaps 16 and 17 are "very accurately positioned as with regards to each other. It is to be here noted that the inside and outside rollers arepositioned opposite each other so that the material of the case lies ydirectly between them, and also that these rollers are posi- 'tioned in close proximity to the Vertical plane 'of the stitch-throwing mechanism. Thus the box is supported accurately where the stitchis thrown.

erence to Fig. 5, it will be noted that the end.

of this arm is beveled as at 43 to provide a cam. surface against which one wall of the slot 40 engages in the rotating movement of the clutch so that the bolt is retracted by a cam action. This will be appreciated by reference to Fig. 4 whereinthe rotational movement is in a clockwise direction.

When thearm 41 is pulled away from its position shown in Fig. 4, or in other words pulled downward, the bolt 8 is released so that it flies into the socket 10 and causes actuation of the stitching head. For the purpose of accomplishing this, there is a suitable foot lever y44 connected to arm 41 through intermediate rods `45-and 46 which preferably have spring 47 interposed be.- tween them. Pressure upon the lever 44 tends to compress spring 47 and this spring and spring 42 are so coordinated that the controlling arm 41 is pulled downward.

rod 50 which normally underlies the arm 41 Y' .to prevent its release of the clutch bolt, and even if thelever 44 be depressed at this time, the spring 47 is collapsed and the clutch is not engaged. This rod 50, as shown in Fig.

2., 'connects at one end with a bell crank member 51 pivoted as at 52. This bell crank member is pivotally supported upon suitable brackets 53-and it is normally held in tion. Its normal position is determined by a set screw` 56. f

On one arm of the bell crank member 51 there is a stop plate member 60 andthis stop member is pivoted to the bell crank arm as at 61. This stop member normally lies in the path of the case so that as a shipping caseis pushed into position the forwardly projecting end blanks 14 come into contact with this stop plate Vmember as illustrated in Fig. 2. The case at this moment is in proper position for receiving the first wire stitch, but

"position to hold the locking bar 50 underneath arm 41 by a sitable spring 54 surthe stitching mechanism cannot be operated until the locking rod is retracted from underneath the arm 41. Asthe case is pushed in, it engages the member and rocks the bell crank 51 in clockwise position '(F ig. 2)

thus retracting rod 51 and permitting oper-V ation of the stitching machine.

lVhile this stopv plate.) member has moved back under action of the case urging it, it

still lies in the' path of the case so as to interfere with this .passa-ge thereof through the machine `as is necessary to take a""row o stitches. In order-to move the stop plate out of the way, it is connected to a rod 62, as vat 63, and one of the rods is pivotally connected to a bell crank 64 carried lby suitable brackets 65. The other arm of this bell crank is' joined to -a rod 66 which is in turn connected 'to a disk or wheel 67 secured upon shaft 3 p so as to rotate therewith as my means of pin Accordingly, just as soon asfthe deflector plate is moved to retract rod 40, the stitching 'p mechanism includingshaft 3, begins toy rotate. Ofcourse, the case is not moved further until one stitch is taken.v Upon rotation of the shaft 3, the bell crank 64 is rocked, thus through the rod 62, rocking the plate 60 upon its pivoted points `61so that itslower .end is pulled upwardly out of the way of the I case. The case may now be pushed further along so that it is in proper position to receive thev next stitch through the overlapping panels 16 and 17 and the case thus lies under the deflector plate 60. Qf course, the element ('57 continues to rotate and does not hold the stop Aplate out of the Way with the result that in each revolution as a numberof stitches are taken, the stop plate tends to drop down again but is so prevented because it rests'upon the top of the casey The bell crank @l and rod (S2-are connected by a pin in a suitable Y slot 70 to permit actuation of the belll crank bfy the lost play of this connectionl even t ough the deflector plate rests upon the top of the case'rand cannot drop into its normal position. After a row of stitches has been completed in one case the stop plate is dropped down into its normal position so that it may again be deflected by the next succeedingshlpping. case.

he spring 54's adjustable for vtension as by ymeans of tightening the nut` on bolt 55.l

adjustment can be made for light and heavy cases'as considerable tension may be desired for a heavy case; less tension for asmall orlight case. 'Moreover, the supporting arm 53 may, and preferably is, made ad!l justable as to position 'so that varioussizes can` 1 be handled.. p

Claims: 1. The combination with a stitcher head, and an open head blade anvil adapted to underlie overlapping fiber board flaps or the like through which one or more stitches are to be taken, of means carried by the anvil and ositioned so as to be disposed within the holow form of a fiber board blank set up sub-v stantially into case shape for supporting the vertically disposed parts of the blank, andla table below the anvil and said means for supporting the blank.

2. The lcombination with a stitcher head and an open head blade4 anvil, of. a table or.

the like adapted to support a fiber 'board blank shaped into a hollow substantially box f `form so that parts to be stitched are positioned with respect tothe anvil, and means for supporting the vertically disposed walls of the said blank, both from the exterior and the interior thereof.

3. The combination with'a stitcher head and an open head blade anvil, of a table or the like adapted to. support a fiber board blank shaped into a hollow substantially box form' so that parts to be stitched are positioned with respect to the anvil, and means for suporting the vertically disposed walls of the said blank both from the exterior and the interior thereof, both of said supporting means being disposed in closeproximity so as to engage the fiber board betfween them,

and said supporting means being positioned in a vertical plane approximating that in which the stitch is taken.

5. Thev combination withl a stitcher head,

and an open head blade anvil, of a table or the like adapted to support a fiber board blank shaped into substantially case form,

said table being positioned sufficiently below vthe stitcher head thatthe upper wall of the blank immediately 'underlies the stitcher 'head for receiving astitch with parts of the lblade anvil dispose'dwithin the blank, and a supporting device carried by the blade anvil y and disposed within the blank for supporting the vertical walls thereof. l

46. The combination .with a` stitcher head, and an open head -blade anvil, of a table or the like adapted to blank shaped into substantially case form,

said table being positioned sulliciently below the stitcher head that blank immediately underlies the stitcher head for receiving a lstitch with parts of the blade anvil disposed within thel blank, a support carried by the bladeanviland disposed within the blank, and rollers carriedy the supthe upper wall of the' support 'a fiber board vzo 4 tab e 5 or the like adapted to support a fiber board blank sha ed into substantially case form, said table eing positioned sufficiently below the stitcher head th-at the upper wall of the for receiving a stitch with parts of the blade anvil disposed within the blank, a support carried by the blade anvil and disposed within the blank, rollers carried by the support which are positioned to engage the vertical walls of the blank, asupport positioned exterior of the blank, and rollers carried thereby which engage and support the vertical walls of said blank outside of;V and opposite .the said irst mentioned rollers.

8. The combination with a sticker head, and an open head blade anvil, of a table or the like adapted to support a fiber board blank shaped into substantially case form, said table being positioned suiciently below the stitcher head that the upper wall of the blank immediately underlies the stitcher head for receiving a stitch with parts of the blade anvil disposed within the blank, a supporting device carried the blade anvil and disposed within theblank, rollers carried. by the supporting device and positioned to engage vertical walls of the blank, and exterior support rollersengaging said vertical walls from `the outside and opposite the first mentioned rollers.

Y 9. The combination with a stitcher head, and an open head blade anvil, a table or the like, adapted to support a fiber board blank sha d into substantially case form, said being positioned sufficiently below the stltcher head that the upper wall of the blank lmrnediately underlies the stitcher head for receivlng a stitch with parts of the blade anvil disposed within the blank, a supporting device carried by theiblade anvil and disposed within the blank, rollers carried by the su porting device and positioned to engage t e vertical walls ofthe blank an exterior support, rollers carried thereby which engage 5 said vertical walls from the outside and opposite the iirst mentioned rollers, and means for adlustmg said rollers to accommodate for varlation in container size.

blank immediately underlies the stitcher head v moving theideiector out of the line of travel of the said article.

11.` The combination with av stitching mahine, of means for driving the same, a clutch .means for mounting the deilector for movement in another direction, and means for so moving the deflector in this other direction to position the detlector out of the path of said article.

` 12. The combination with a stitching machine, of means for driving the same, a clutch disposed between the driving means and .stitching mechanism, means for actuating the clutch, a lock device for lockin the clutch in disconnected position, a de ector positioned in the line of travel of an article' to be stitched and movably'mounted so that upon movement caused iby engagement of "said article, the locking 'device is released,

means for mounting lthe deflector for movement in another direction, and means for so moving the deector in this otherdirection to positionv the deilector outjof the path of said article, said last named means being operatively connected with the stitching mech-` anism whereby actuation of the stitching mai chine removes the said delector from the said line of travel to permit said article to be moved with respect to the stitcher head.,

13. The combination with a stitcher head, and an open head blade anvil, of a support for sustaining a fiber board blank or the like which has been shaped into a substantially open ended box blank, and means carried by the blade anvil and positioned within the box blank for supporting the vertical walls thereof.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature;

HOWARD G. ALLEN.

10. The'combination with a stitching mai chine, of means for driving the same, a clutcl disposed between the driving means and stitching mechanism, means for actuating the clutch, a lock device for locking the clutch 50 in disconnected position, al deiector operatively connected to the locking device and positioned in the line of travel of an article to be stitched' and which is operative upon deflection by .engagement of said 'articleto release the locking device, and means for 

